NBA: 76ers Are For Real, Win Without Embiid, Okafor

The Philadelphia 76ers have a better record (7-3) over the last ten games than these Eastern Conference teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors, and the Boston Celtics. Those are the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. The 76sers, long mired in “the process” of laying down and losing for draft picks, are irrepressibly signalling that the time is now. Even though their big name players remain on restricted minutes, you just can’t keep the good team down.

Take Tuesday night’s 121-110 win against the Clippers. Scan the box score for what has become a Sixers’ fan’s go-to: Joel Embiid‘s numbers. Not there. Embiid sat out with a knee contusion. Must have been Jahlil Okafor then, propelling them right? Nope, Okafor also didn’t dress — knee soreness. Add the absence No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, who has yet to play a game, and the 76ers are doomed against a powerhouse like the Clippers right? Wrong. Ten 76ers scored at least 7 points while the team shot 50% from the field.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a better record (7-3) over the last ten games than these Eastern Conference teams: the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors, and the Boston Celtics. Those are the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. The 76sers, long mired in “the process” of laying down and losing for draft picks, are irrepressibly signalling...